How far have we come??
“The Commission embraces this concept of lifelong learning and all it implies. More specifically, it is the Commission’s view that British Columbians can no longer afford to consider education as something that begins and ends in formal institutions for learning. The complexities of modern life and the changing demands of careers in business, industry, and the professions make it imperative to educate ourselves broadly throughout our lives and, by learning new skills and bodies of knowledge, to adapt to the changing world around us. In other words, education is not something we can leave to schools; it is a responsibility to learning shared by each of us and the community to which we belong.”
Does anyone remember which “commission” this was? Some hints… the year was 1988, the commissioner was Barry Sullivan and it was targeted at kids who were expected to graduate in the year 2000.
I’m nerdy enough to have been reading through the report’s introduction last night. I couldn’t help but be pleased that, in comparison to many districts, our schools and our community are working together on behalf of kids more and more all the time. Key people are beginning to question the traditional industrial model of education.
Please watch the 5 minute video from ASCD about the “New Compact.” (It was tweeted recently by my equally nerdy wife…) The video asks some questions that we’ve been asking recently and it wonders why “too many kids are dropping out, checking out or coasting through.”
Here is the link: http://tiny.cc/LkdiQ

The Sullivan Commission asked the questions too. I believe we have finally started looking for answers instead of making excuses for staying with the traditional model.
What do you think?






